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Cool Runnings (PG)
Outline Of The Movie Cool Runnings is a 1993 adventure comedy film directed by Jon Turteltaub. It is based on the true story of the Jamaica national bobsled team's debut in the bobsleigh competition of the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Alberta. Except they have made a few changes... Plot Irv Blitzer was a bobsled double gold medalist at the 1968 Winter Olympics, who finished first in three events again at the 1972 Winter Olympics but was disqualified for cheating and retired in disgrace to Jamaica, where he leads a destitute life as a bookie. He is approached by top 100m runner Derice Bannock, who failed to qualify for the 1988 Summer Olympics when another opponent, Junior Bevil, tripped him at the trials, and pushcart driving champion Sanka Coffie, who both wish to use his previous experience as coaches in order to compete in the 1988 Winter Olympics as bobsledders. Irv had been good friends with Derice's father, Ben, a former sprinter whom Irv had tried to recruit for the bobsled team years ago. Yul Brenner, another runner who was tripped at the qualifier by Junior, also joins the team, as well as Junior himself. Eventually Irv is convinced to coach the team. The four try to find various ways to earn money to get in the Olympics; Singing on the street, arm wrestling, and holding a kissing booth, but all fail. Junior, however, sells his car, raising enough money to send the team to the Olympics. In Calgary, Blitzer manages to acquire an old practice sled from the USA team, the Jamaicans having never been in an actual bobsled. The team are looked down upon by other countries, in particularly the East German team who tells them to go home, resulting in a bar fight. The team resolves to view the contest more seriously, continuing to train and improve their technique. They qualify for the finals, but are briefly disqualified. At the primary judge meeting, Irv immediately confronts his former coach (from the '72 Olympic Winter Games and currently a primary judge of the '88 Olympic Winter Games), Kurt Hemphill for disqualifying the Jamaicans for his mistake. He confesses that he made the biggest mistake in his life by cheating by hiding weights underneath the sled to make it run faster. His gold medals were revoked and he embarrassed his country with the scandal. Irv says that if Hemphill wants revenge, just punish him only, not his team. Let the Jamaicans qualify and represent their country in the Olympics. Later, the judges overturn their decision and the Jamaicans are back in. The Jamaicans' first day on the track results in, once more, embarrassment, and a last-place finish. Sanka convinces Derice to stop copying qualities of the Swiss team. Soon the team develops their own style, the second day proves better; the Jamaican team finishes with a fast time which puts them in eighth position. Later, Irv tells Derice the truth about his past and convinces him to think of himself as a champion without a gold medal, rather with one. For the first half of the final day's race it looks as though they will break the world bobsled speed record, until tragedy strikes: their sled, due to one of the blades falling off, flips on its side coming out of a turn towards the end of their run, leaving them meters short of the finish line. However, the team lifts their sled up and walks across the finish line to rousing applause from onlookers. The team, at the end, feels accomplished enough to return in four years to the next winter Olympics. A brief epilogue states the team returned to Jamaica as heroes, and upon their return to the Winter Olympics four years later, they were treated as equals. Cast John Candy - Irv Blitzer (Coach/Bob sled gold medallist) Irving Blitzer.jpg| Irving Blitzer derice.jpg|Derice Bannock snaka.jpg|Sanka Coffie yul.jpg|Yul Brenner junior.jpg|Junior Bevil kurt.jpg|Kurt Hemphill josef.jpg|Josef Grull whitby.jpg|Whitby Bevil Leon Robinson - Derice Bannock (100m Sprinter) Doug E. Doug - Sanka Coffie (Pushcart Driver) Malik Yoba - Yul Brenner "Baldy"(Runner) Rawle D. Lewis - Junior Bevil (Rich Boy) Raymond J. Barry - Kurt Hemphill (Judge) Peter Outerbridge as Josef Grull (Compeditor) Charles Hyatt - Whitby Bevil (Junior's father) Category:Comedy Category:PG Category:Sport Category:Movie Category:Family-Movie Category:Friendship